Meditation Glossary: 60 Key Terms Explained

This glossary covers 60 key terms across the major meditation traditions. Terms are defined as they are used in practice and teacher training contexts -- not dictionary definitions, but working definitions for practitioners.

Traditions covered: Vipassana, MBSR, Zen, Tibetan Buddhism, Yoga Nidra, Somatic practice, and secular mindfulness.

Vipassana and Theravada

Anapana

Pali for "breath." In the Vipassana tradition, anapana refers to the preliminary practice of observing natural respiration, typically practiced for the first three days of a 10-day retreat before body scanning begins.

Vipassana

Pali for "insight" or "clear seeing." Refers to direct observation of the impermanent, unsatisfactory, and selfless nature of experience through sustained attention to bodily sensations.

Dhamma / Dharma

Pali/Sanskrit for the Buddha's teachings, also used to mean the nature of reality or the path of practice. In Goenka centers, "Dhamma" refers to the universal law of nature as taught through Vipassana.

Metta

Loving-kindness meditation. In Vipassana retreats (particularly the Goenka tradition), Metta is practiced on the final day to share the merit of the retreat. A foundational practice in many Theravada traditions.

Equanimity (Upekkha)

The quality of mental balance -- observing experience without craving or aversion. Considered the highest quality developed through Vipassana practice.

Sankhara

Pali for mental formations or conditioned reactions. In the Goenka tradition, sankharas are understood as stored mental impurities dissolved through body scanning with equanimity.

Noble Silence

The practice of maintaining silence (of body, speech, and mind) during a retreat. In the Goenka tradition, Noble Silence is observed from Day 1 through the morning of Day 10.

Sila

Pali for ethical conduct. The five precepts (no killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, or intoxicants) form the ethical foundation required to practice Vipassana effectively.

Noting

A Vipassana technique attributed to Mahasi Sayadaw where each moment of experience is silently labeled ("rising," "falling," "thinking," "hearing") to develop precise awareness. Distinct from Goenka's body-scanning approach.

Jhana

Stages of deep meditative absorption achieved through concentrated practice. Required in the Pa-Auk Sayadaw tradition as a foundation before Vipassana; less emphasized in Goenka centers.

MBSR and Clinical Mindfulness

MBSR

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. An 8-week evidence-based program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in 1979. The most clinically researched mindfulness intervention.

MBCT

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Combines MBSR with cognitive therapy techniques. Developed for relapse prevention in recurrent depression. Requires separate teacher training from MBSR.

Body Scan

A systematic guided meditation moving attention through regions of the body. Central practice in MBSR. Distinct from Vipassana body scanning -- the MBSR version emphasizes non-judgmental awareness rather than observing sensations for their impermanent nature.

Formal Practice

In MBSR, structured meditation sessions with a defined duration and technique (body scan, sitting meditation, mindful movement). Distinguished from informal practice (everyday mindfulness).

Informal Practice

Bringing mindful awareness to daily activities -- eating, walking, driving, conversations. A key component of MBSR alongside formal practice.

MSC

Mindful Self-Compassion. A program developed by Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer training compassion directed toward oneself. Has its own teacher certification pathway separate from MBSR.

CFM

The Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The primary institution offering MBSR teacher certification (Professional Training Intensive + supervised teaching). Co-founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Inquiry

In MBSR teaching, the practice of exploring experience with guided open-ended questions after a meditation. A core teaching skill. Teachers are trained to avoid directing participants toward particular interpretations.

Zen Buddhism

Zazen

Japanese for "seated meditation." The central practice of Zen -- sitting upright with awareness, without following thoughts. In Soto Zen, zazen is practiced as shikantaza (just sitting). In Rinzai, it accompanies koan work.

Koan

A paradoxical question or statement used in Rinzai Zen training to break through conceptual thinking. Not riddles -- lived questions worked with during intensive practice.

Dokusan

A private meeting between a Zen student and teacher to present understanding of a koan or practice. Essential to Rinzai training. Similar meetings in Soto Zen are called sanzen or daisho.

Dharma Transmission

Formal authorization from a Zen teacher recognizing a student as a teacher in the lineage. The core of Zen teacher certification -- without it, one cannot teach within the traditional structure.

Sesshin

An intensive Zen retreat, typically 5-7 days, involving many hours of zazen daily, dokusan with the teacher, and dharma talks. The intensive setting for deepening practice and koan work.

Sangha

The community of practitioners. One of the Three Jewels of Buddhism (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha). In Zen, ongoing sangha connection is considered essential to practice -- not optional.

Tibetan Buddhism

Vajrayana

The Tantric vehicle of Tibetan Buddhism, also called the "Diamond Vehicle." Includes practices of visualization, mantra, and deity yoga. Most practices require initiation (empowerment) from a qualified teacher.

Empowerment (Wang)

An initiation ceremony in Tibetan Buddhism transmitting the energy and permission to practice a specific deity yoga or Tantric practice. Required before most Vajrayana practices.

Lojong

Tibetan mind-training practices, including Tonglen. A system of slogans for transforming difficult experiences and cultivating bodhichitta (awakening mind). Popularized in the West by Pema Chodron and others.

Tonglen

Tibetan "sending and taking" practice. On the in-breath, taking in suffering; on the out-breath, sending out relief and happiness. A compassion practice within the Lojong system.

Dzogchen

"Great Perfection." The highest teaching in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. A non-dual pointing-out of the nature of mind. Requires proper transmission from a Dzogchen master.

Bodhichitta

Sanskrit for "awakening mind." The aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. The foundational motivation of Mahayana and Vajrayana practice.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra

"Yogic sleep." A guided meditation practice inducing a state between waking and sleeping, used for deep relaxation, trauma processing, and insight. Multiple lineages exist including iRest and NSY (Bihar School).

iRest

Integrative Restoration. A trauma-sensitive adaptation of Yoga Nidra developed by Richard Miller, used in clinical and VA hospital settings. Has its own teacher training and certification pathway.

Sankalpa

A heartfelt intention or resolve set at the beginning of a Yoga Nidra session when the mind is in a receptive state between waking and sleep.

Rotation of Consciousness

A guided movement of awareness through body parts in sequence, used in Yoga Nidra to induce pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses) as preparation for deeper practice.

Somatic and Trauma-Informed Practice

Somatic Experiencing (SE)

A body-based approach to trauma developed by Peter Levine. Focuses on tracking body sensations and facilitating the natural discharge of survival responses. 3-year practitioner training through SE International.

Window of Tolerance

A term from trauma therapy (Dan Siegel) describing the optimal zone of arousal for processing experience. Widely used in trauma-informed meditation teaching to understand when students are overwhelmed or dissociated.

Titration

In somatic and trauma-informed practice, working with difficult material in small doses rather than full immersion. Essential skill for teachers working with trauma-sensitive populations.

Pendulation

Moving awareness between areas of ease and areas of activation in the body. A core SE technique for gradually expanding the window of tolerance.

Interoception

Awareness of internal bodily states and sensations. A central capacity developed through both Vipassana and somatic practice, with growing neuroscientific research support.

Secular Mindfulness

Mindfulness

Paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally (Kabat-Zinn's definition). Now used broadly across clinical, corporate, and personal contexts with varying fidelity to this definition.

IMTA

International Mindfulness Teachers Association. A professional body recognizing mindfulness teachers who meet defined standards of training, supervision, and practice. Not tradition-specific.

CCT

Compassion Cultivation Training. A secular compassion training program developed at Stanford's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). Has its own teacher certification.

SIY

Search Inside Yourself. A mindfulness-based emotional intelligence program developed at Google by Chade-Meng Tan, now offered through an independent institute. Widely used in corporate contexts.

Open Awareness

A meditation technique practicing wide, receptive attention without a specific object -- sometimes called "choiceless awareness." Used in both secular and traditional contexts.

Teacher Training Terms

Practicum

A supervised teaching component of a teacher training program where trainees practice guiding actual meditation sessions and receive feedback from qualified supervisors. A key quality indicator -- programs without practicum are not teaching programs.

Lineage

The transmission chain connecting a teacher to their teacher's teacher, back to a recognized root teacher or tradition. In traditional Buddhist contexts, lineage is the primary credential. In secular contexts, it refers to which recognized program or teacher trained the instructor.

Supervision

Regular meetings with a more experienced teacher to discuss one's teaching practice. Expected in MBSR training and clinical programs. Often absent in lower-quality secular certifications.

CEUs

Continuing Education Units. Relevant for professionals (therapists, nurses, yoga teachers) who need to maintain licensure. Some meditation teacher training programs offer CEUs -- relevant for who the program is designed for.

BAMBA

British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches. Sets standards for mindfulness-based teacher training in the UK, including Good Practice Guidelines that define minimum training requirements.

Dharma Teacher

A teacher authorized within a specific Buddhist lineage to transmit the teachings of that lineage. Authorization processes vary widely -- from formal dharma transmission in Zen to more informal recognition in Vipassana communities.

Retreat Requirement

The number of personal retreat days required as part of or before entering a teacher training program. A quality indicator -- serious programs require significant retreat experience.

Ongoing Practice Requirement

The expectation that teachers maintain a regular personal meditation practice throughout and after training. Best programs build this in as a formal requirement.

Scope of Practice

What a meditation teacher is and is not qualified to do. Teachers are not therapists. Scope of practice issues arise when teachers work with vulnerable populations without appropriate training or referral protocols.

Ethics Training

A component of teacher training covering appropriate relationships with students, boundaries, power dynamics, and professional conduct. Often underemphasized in lower-quality programs.

Dana

Pali/Sanskrit for generosity or offering. The traditional model for supporting Dharma teachers -- students give what they can afford after receiving teachings. Used in Goenka centers (all courses are free; teachers are volunteers) and some insight meditation communities.

Mentorship

Extended guidance from a senior teacher over months or years, distinct from supervision (which is session-specific feedback). Associated with deeper teacher development in traditional lineages.

Teacher Training Accreditation

Recognition by an external body that a teacher training program meets defined standards. Legitimate for MBSR (CFM, Brown) and some secular programs (IMTA). Self-accreditation (programs accrediting themselves) has no external validity.

Cohort

A group of teacher trainees moving through a program together. Cohort-based programs typically offer stronger peer learning and accountability than self-paced formats.

Trauma-Informed Teaching

Teaching practices that recognize students may have trauma histories and adapt accordingly -- offering choices, avoiding mandatory eye contact, providing alternatives to lying down, being alert to signs of overwhelm.

Seniority

In traditional lineages, the relative standing of a teacher based on length of practice, retreat experience, and proximity to root teachers. Less formalized in secular programs.

Use the MTT Database

If you are researching teacher training, the MTT Database covers 300+ programs across these traditions. The Meditation Traditions Field Guide goes deeper on each tradition. The MTT Selection Workbook helps you evaluate specific programs before you commit.